Rick Casmass

Rick Casmass /
Rick has spent more than 25 years serving the restaurant industry, both as a service provider and participant. Currently, Rick is vice president of sales for Valiants Restaurant division, where he leads a team of sales consultants who perform risk mitigation audits for restaurant operators. www

The Wage Theft Prevention Act (WTPA) has been the law of the land in New York since April of 2011. While most restaurateurs, who are New York State employers, have met the increased record keeping stipulations of the Act, one of the lesser-known elements of the WTPA is providing new exposure to lawsuits.

Are you familiar with the regulation regarding the spread of hours in New York? It applies to virtually every restaurant in the state and failure to adhere to it can lead to sanctions by the state’s Department of Labor.
The law works like this: Let’s say a waiter works a double shift, the first shift running from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Many restaurant owners who offer free meals to their employees are unaware that they are entitled to a minimum wage meal credit for each employee. Specifically, an employer who customarily furnishes meals to employees may reduce the cash wages paid...